Abandoned
by The Princess Wolf
Summary: When Charlotte is left for dead beneath an equipment truck, will anyone find her before it's too late? And what will happen when more than one member of Connect Three realize they have feelings for her?
1. Left for Dead

A/N: This is my first JoBro fic, so I'm super excited

**A/N: This is my first JoBro fic, so I'm super excited!! Anyways, I don't own them, just their hearts. Here goes nothing!**

_This cannot be happening, _I said to myself. Well, I would have said it if I were able to move my jaw, or any other part of my body. As I lay on the cold concrete in the parking lot, I thought about how ironic the situation was.

I could hear Momma Dee's voice as if on playback in my head.

"_Charlotte, you are not going to that concert. Especially unsupervised! Do you know what kind of people wait around at those kinds of places, just waiting to get a hold of a young girl by herself?" _

"_You are not my mother!" I had yelled at her. "I may be living here for now, but next week I could be halfway across the country. I'm going to this concert before I get thrown around again!" _

"_There will always be another concert in another town," the old woman said. "But there will never be another you. Please don't go to this concert." _

As the sounds of the upbeat concert began to slow down, I listened as group after group of exciting fan girls passed by. I was hidden behind the back set of tires on a giant white tractor trailer, probably the one used to transport the instrument and equipment from venue to venue. The suppressed giggles of fans trying to sneak a glimpse at the stars began to fade as the hour became later and later.

I began to panic when I heard the movement of men loading the equipment onto the truck. _What if nobody realized I was underneath the rear axel? _Things could get even worse than they already were. I struggled to get myself into the open, but only managed to push myself far enough for my hand to break free from the truck's shadow.

"Wait, Mike," I heard a familiar voice call out. "We need the two acoustics to stay on the bus."

I used every ounce of strength I had in to force out a loud yelp as I watched a pair of shiny Italian shoes pass by the truck. The sound was barely louder than a grunt, but the shoes stopped. I wiggled my fingers, as if begging for him to see them. The owner of the shoes bent down and looked beneath the truck.

I was looking into the stunned eyes of the oldest member of Connect Three.


	2. Sedated

A/N: Here's chapter two

**A/N: Here's chapter two! Just remember that I really wanted to write this where Connect Three were really the JoBros, but that's not allowed and I did not want to risk it getting deleted. So anyways, here it goes again. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own connect three…wish I did though. Haha**

"Do you know her name?" I heard someone ask.

"I don't know," the familiar voice replied. "I just found her. She passed out before I could even get her out from under the truck."

I pried my lids open and groaned as I was momentarily blinded. I heard footsteps as the two other people in the room walked towards me.

"Ma'am," came the voice of the older gentleman. "Can you hear me?"

I nodded and then groaned again. Every part of my body was in pain. I opened my eyes slowly and saw the face of an older gentle man with grey hair and thick glasses slowly looking over the various machines in the room. He glanced at me and saw my eyes open.

"Miss, I don't want you to be worried," he said. "You were discovered with many injuries and brought here to the Oakwood Medical Center."

I went to open my mouth to reply with a sarcastic remark, but my mouth wouldn't open. My teeth wouldn't separate and I started to panic, completely disregarding the doctor's warning.

I sat up and ignored the shooting pain in my sides and chest. I put my hand to my face and ran my fingers across my teeth, only to feel a metal object holding them together.

I grunted and made a strange noise, looking back and forth between the doctor and the second person in the room. I was demanding an explanation.

"Please, lie back down," the second person said. "Let the doctor explain."

There was something comforting in his voice, so I did as I was told and leaned back into the sheets.

"My name is Dr. Wagner. When you were brought to me you were in quite a state. Your jaw has been wired shut due to a severe break on the left side. Your index and middle fingers on your left hand are broken along with your right wrist and two ribs."

Dr. Wagner picked up the chart from the end of the bed and began looking it over. "Other than a slight concussion and some severe bruising, there seems to be nothing else wrong. We'd like to keep you here until we can contact your next of kin."

I shook my head, trying to signal that I had no next of kin. I grumbled and tried to tell him that I was a foster kid, but nothing noticeable came out.

"Maybe you could write your name on a piece of paper," Dr. Wagner said. But I shook my head. Both of my hands were incapacitated. "I have an idea!"

The doctor left the room to explore the possibilities of his idea, leaving me alone with the other person.

"I'm Jason," he said. I nodded my head, signaling that I already knew that. He laughed. "Well, I guess there's not a whole lot we can talk about. TV?"

I nodded as he snagged the remote and flipped on some random news channel. He looked at me and I shook me head. He began surfing through channels until I grunted.

"What?" he asked. I pointed at the television as Johnny Depp danced around the screen in a purple top hat. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?"

I nodded vigorously, hoping he would understand.

"Okay, it's not my favorite, but I guess we could watch it," he said, turning his attention to the squeaking squirrels. I grunted loudly again and waited for Charlie to come on screen. I pointed at him and then back at myself.

Jason looked at me with a confused expression. I pointed again.

"Oh," he exclaimed as realization hit. "You're Charlie?"

I nodded.

"Is that short for Charlotte?"

I nodded again.

He laughed again and walked to the side of my bed. He gently shook my hand and said "it's very nice to meet you."

As we sat watching the make believe movie play, I concentrated on how ventriloquists talk without moving their mouths and quietly tried to imitate the technique. By the time the doctor came back I had managed to tell Jason that my full name was Charlotte Baker.

"I have a solution as to how you can tell us who you are," he said, carrying a black laptop in his hands.

"Charlie Baker," I said through my clamped teeth.

"Well," the doctor said, taken back a bit. "I guess that solves the problem. Well Charlie, would you like to tell me the name of you parents so that I may contact them?"

"I don't have any parents," I told him. "I'm a ward of the state."

"Oh," the doctor replied. "Well, now that I know who you are, we can inform your guardian."

He left the room and I looked over at Jason. He had a kind of sad look on his face.

"Don't pity me," I grunted.

"I wasn't. I was just thinking about what it would be like with out my parents," he told me, "or Shane and Nate."

"Oh." I felt bad for grunting at him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said. "You've done nothing wrong."

I laid my head back on my pillow and focused on the ceiling tiles. It wasn't very entertaining.

"So how did you end up underneath our truck?" he asked.

"I was wondering when you were going to get to that," I started. "Well, being a foster kid, I've had to move around a whole lot. I don't think I've ever been in one place longer than three months. I go from place to place and family to family. I have lived in every town you can name in northern Texas. I've never had anything constant in my life.

"Connect Three is sort of my way of giving myself some stability. You three were always the same, no matter where I was shipped off to. I always had music, always had something to wish for. You three were my constant. So when I was finally in the same town as you, I had to go to your concert.

"Momma Dee told me it was a foolish thing to do. She said that going by myself was madness."

I paused to catch my breath. The next part of the story would be harder to tell.

"I got the cheapest ticket I could buy and with a little bit of carefully worded flirting with some security guards, I was able to sneak up to the front row. The concert rocked, by the way."

Jason laughed and motioned for me to keep going. I inhaled deeply.

"It was about halfway through the concert when I decided to go and see if I could get a sneak peak. I figured there'd be tons of girls before the show and everyone would go after, so my plan was to look around and maybe flirt with some roadies while everyone was watching you guys on stage. Thought maybe I'd get some free stuff or maybe even a chance to meet the band when the show was finished.

"I was back behind the busses when someone grabbed me from behind. I figured it was security taking me to the parking lot or something, that's why I didn't struggle too much. But after a few seconds I realized that the parking lot was in the opposite direction. I turned and tried to struggle away from my attacker, but he threw me to the ground. I looked up at his face and then there was nothing. The next thing I knew I was under a giant truck."

"Do you think that if you saw him again you would recognize him?" Jason asked.

"Definitely," I said. Then in a whisper, "I'll never forget his face."

"Okay," he said quietly. "When the police get here you can tell them everything you've told me."

I inhaled sharply. The story was hard enough to tell once to one person, let alone a second time to someone else.

"If you'd like," he said. "You can pretend to be asleep when they arrive and I can relay the details."

"That would be amazing," I sighed. I leaned back into the pillow and realized my jaw was slowly beginning to ache.

"So," Jason said sitting down in a green, squishy looking chair. "Do you really think we rock?"

I quietly laughed and the doctor walked back into the room. "Miss Baker, I have contacted the authorities and they have made a call to your guardian. She'll be here in a few hours. I would like to do a few tests though before they get here, though."

"What kind of tests?" I asked. Suddenly I was feeling very tired.

"Well, there was some internal bleeding that we were worried about when you were brought in, so we'd like to check on that. And because you don't remember what happened after you blacked out, we'd also like to do a rape kit, it that's okay with you," the doctor said quietly.

Charlie started breathing heavily and her heart beat accelerated. Listening to the doctor's words she realized she _didn't_ know what happened to her. The sick person who attacked her could have done anything he wanted to her and there was nothing she could do. Her breathing continued to spiral out of control as she continued to panic.

"Charlie, calm down," Jason said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Charlie flinched back from his touch. "It's just a precaution. We don't know if that happened."

"I know," she whispered. "That's the problem. I don't know what happened."

"Nurse," Doctor Wagner called into the hallway. I short Hispanic woman came bustling into the room. "It looks as if we're going to have to sedate Miss Baker."

The woman covered in ugly green scrubs bustled back out of the room and reappeared after a moment carrying a large syringe. She injected the clear liquid into the IV attached to Charlie's arm.

Almost immediately she could feel its presence. Her eyes began to feel heavy and she couldn't feel her fingers. She let her head lull to the side and let the darkness take her.

**A/N: So my intentions were never to make you wait this long for this chapter. But then this giant guy named IKE came and destroyed my town. Okay, maybe destroyed is a bit of an over exaggeration, but due to the hurricane I had no power for over a week and I have friends who STILL don't have power and it's been like, 13 days. I was only in the dark for nine and thought I would go crazy. **

**Anyways…hopefully another update soon. Sooner than this one. Fer sure. If you haven't done it already, I highly recommend going out and buying the new Demi Lovato cd. It's greatness! Lol **


	3. See You Soon

**A/N: Jason is really OOC. But remember, this is supposed to be more like JB not C3. lol And there are some things in this chapter that I really had no idea about, so I had to just wing it. Sorry if I confused anyone. I don't know a whole lot about foster care. **

**Disclaimer: I only own Charlie. Sorta. haha**

I sat in my bed and waited for Momma Dee to finish signing the release forms. There were several doctors hovering around her mumbling about things I couldn't hear. Jason was still sitting in the chair beside my bed. He was asleep when I woke up and has stayed that way for the past half our.

I reached over to the table on my left and clumsily grabbed for the remote. My two braced fingers did nothing but nudge the remote to the floor. It collided with the ground loudly and the batteries were sent in different directions. In an attempt to catch the gadget before it collision I jostled my broken ribs painfully, causing me to yell out in pain.

Jason jumped out of the chair he was in and looked around wildly.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I groaned. "Fine, I just dropped the remote."

"Oh," he sighed. "You could have woken me. I would have got it for you."

"I'll have to remember that," I said. The pain subsided and I watched as Jason walked around the bed and replaced the batteries. He handed it to me and returned to his seat. She watched as he slowly drifted back to sleep while sitting up. His chin tilted down and a few seconds latter dropped to his chest.

"Jason," I whispered. He didn't move. "Jason!"

He jumped up again. Then, after seeing nothing wrong, looked at me questioningly.

"What?"

"I didn't want you to get a crick in your neck," I answered sheepishly. I pushed the button on the side of the hospital bed and waited as the top half of my body slowly raised up. When I was almost sitting up straight I pulled the pillow from behind my head and threw it at him.

"I can't take your pillow," he said and tried to hand it back. I wouldn't touch it.

"Jason, take it," I said. "Besides, you look like you haven't slept in days."

"Thanks," he said sarcastically as turned his chair sideways. "You sure do know how to make a guy feel good about himself."

"It's my specialty," I said with a shrug. He tossed his legs over the side of the chair and put the pillow on the bed by my hand. He leaned back and closed his eyes. I watched silently as his breathing slowed. His mouth twitched every now and then and I couldn't help but giggle.

I studied his face as he slept. Every now and then he would get a tiny wrinkle in between his eyes that made me wonder about the dream he was having. I suddenly felt the urge to run my fingers through his hair, so I gently tugged on one of his dark curls. He turned his face towards me and murmured incoherently, but continued to sleep. I softly tangled my fingers in the mass of black. He murmured again, but this time instead of turning his head, he grabbed my hand. He pulled it to his face and used it to replace his pillow.

I laughed quietly at how adorable the action was and turned on my side. I fell asleep thinking about Jason's curls. When I woke up again, Jason was gone and my pillow was replaced.

I glanced around the room and saw discarded tissues filling the trash bin by the door. _Momma Dee's here_, I told myself. I listened carefully as the Jason introduced himself and explained the situation, and as Momma Dee asked questions with a shaky voice. I listened as he told her that it would be more informative to talk to the doctor about it.

"Momma Dee," I called out quietly. I knew she could hear me. She shuffled into the room and hugged me as tight as she could without hurting me. "I was so scared when they called me."

I let go of a single tear as the woman in front of me sobbed. After a few minutes a deep male voice could be heard from the doorway.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Bennett? May I please speak with you for a moment?" the doctor asked.

"Yes," she said. "I'll be right back darling."

I closed my eyes and was almost back to sleep when I heard footsteps enter the room. I peaked through my left eye and saw Jason sitting back down in his chair with a large cup in his hands that read Starbucks on the side. I watched as he blew into the lid and laughed when he winced after taking a drink.

"Too hot?" I asked.

"Just a tad," he laughed.

"You don't have to stay," I said. "Momma Dee is here, you can leave. You probably have better things to do."

"It's not really a big deal," he said with an amused tone.

"Well, if you're going to hang around you might as well make yourself useful," I told him. "Do you happen to know where my pants are?"

He laughed again and put down his coffee. He reached under the bed and grabbed a white plastic bag. "Your effects."

"Thank you," I replied.

I pulled my cell phone from the back pocket of my jeans and after flipping it open pushed the power button. I waited for it to power up and watched the television until I felt it vibrate in my hand. I looked at the screen and gasped. I heard Jason ask me what was wrong, but my eyes were locked on the picture in front of me.

The phone was pulled from my grasp, but I continued to stare at the empty space in my hands. I couldn't breathe. I could hear Jason call for someone out in the hall way, but it sounded very far away. My vision was becoming blurry and my hands began to shake.

The image from the LCD screen on my phone was burned into my brain. I blinked a few times trying, and failing, to erase the picture. Squeezing my eyes shut, I could see the photo perfectly clear.

It was me, lying on the cement in a parking lot between two cars. I was unconscious my arm was twisted at an odd angle. Along the bottom of the screen there were three words.

Three words that weren't going away anytime soon.

_See You Soon_.

**Fin. **

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. I'll try to update sooner. Specially since I just learned how to get on the computers at school. Tee hee. =D **


	4. Chomp Chomp Fierce

**A/N:I'm soooo sorry! Feel free to throw sticks and pine cones at my head. I shall not duck away from them. But here is the next chapter, and it's dedicated to **_**novella2008**_**. Your reviews have made me kick it into gear and keep writing! THANK YOU! **

**Disclaimer: I own Charlie. And the story, nothing else really. lol **

I cried for what seemed like hours. My lungs burned from gasping for air my broking ribs screamed with every breath. I sobbed despite the pain. My phone had been ripped from my fingers and was replaced by a strong hand holding onto mine. I leaned forward and felt a warm arm wrap around my shoulders. I continued to cry.

When the police finally arrived, Jason handed my phone to one of the officers and they politely left the room. I finally gathered myself together enough to speak.

"I'm so scared," I cried. "He had my phone. All of my contacts, my information. He knows where I live!"

I began sobbing again, and then there was nothing.

I awoke to an empty room. I glanced around hoping to find someone, but was disappointed. Glancing at the door, I saw Jason talking adamantly with Momma Dee and a police officer. By now whatever drugs the doctor had given me to numb the pain in her body and I was aching.

It seemed every muscle in my body had just been used in a triathlon without training. There was a twinge in my ribs that accompanied my breathing and my entire jaw was engulfed in a fiery ache. A tear cascaded down my cheek. I felt completely helpless. There was nothing I could do but wait for someone to leave the ongoing conversation outside her room door.

The first person to walk through the door was Jason. He saw that I had been crying and gently grabbed my hand, careful not to jostle my broken fingers.

"What's wrong?" he asked concernedly. "Don't worry about that creep, Charlie. We're trying to figure out a way to keep him away from you."

I shook my head and clenched my eyes shut. Every movement seemed to cause more pain.

"What is it?" he asked, this time worry laced his voice.

"It hurts," I cried.

"What? What hurts?"

"Everything," I whispered. My eyes were still shut but I heard his quick footsteps lead him to the door before he opened it. When his footsteps returned they were joined by two other sets. I opened my eyes and saw the doctor leaning over my bed. He was checking the monitors on the various machines.

"It seems the pain medication is wearing off," he concluded. "Nurse!"

A young woman with a dark complexion walked in and spoke with the doctor for a moment before leaving the room. When she returned she injected something into the IV that was attached to my arm.

Immediately the affects could be felt rushing through my veins. I sighed and closed my eyes again. My eyelids became heavy and all I wanted to do was sleep.

"Thank you," I said. I looked up at Jason, who was still holding my hand, and smiled. I squeezed his hand with my free fingers and closed my eyes.

I walked, or rather, clunked down the hallway towards the gift shop. Once inside she moved to the wall that contained the candy. She pulled down a familiar box and clunked to the register. The clunking was a result of the large black walking boot on my left leg. After loosing the television remote in my room, I had a clumsy accident while trying to reach the channel button on the elevated set that resulted in a severe sprain. Lets just say I no longer give up on finding the remote when I loose it.

"Good morning, Charlie," said the tiny waisted girl behind the counter. "Happy Tuesday."

"Happy Tuesday, Blair," I replied.

"Just these today?" she asked.

"Yep, it's only Jason today." I smiled and she handed me the box. I handed her some cash and a left the shop.

After clunking back to my room I set it on the foot of my bed and lay down. Clunking sure does take a lot out of a girl. As I counted the spots on the ceiling tile for the millionth time, my mind began to wonder across the past six weeks.

The first week of my stay, Jason came to visit me every single day, putting the Connect 3 tour on hold for a "personal emergency." During the second week, they had rescheduled all of the concert dates in Texas, so he could only visit during the week. This is when we learned all about each other. Jason would sit on the end of my bed, careful not to jostle my leg, and we would talk about everything.

"Purple lilies," I said dreamily. "My perfect wedding would be in a giant church with no lights, just hundreds and hundreds of candles illuminating everything. Then everyone would head to the reception where they are required to leave their shoes under the tables and the dance floor is just grass. There would be white bubble lights underneath a white tent and the tables will be covered in purple lilies and will over look a beautiful lake. Then, right at sunset we'll cut the cake and take pictures, and everyone will dance. It'd be wonderful."

He laughed at the dreamy look that seemed frozen on my face. I threw my pillow at him.

"You asked!" I said. "Fine then, what about you, huh? Where do you picture your wedding?"

He stared at me for a moment before answering. "I don't care."

"What?" I almost yelled. "How can you not care? It'll be one of the biggest days of your life and you don't care?"

"No," he said simply. "Because the only thing that matters on that day is her. When I see my wedding day, I see the love of my life. I see her walking towards me, I see her smiling. I'm dancing with her and we're laughing. The world could be ending all around us and I wouldn't see any of it, because all I see is her."

He looked at me and I just stared at him.

"What?"

"That is probably the cheesiest thing I've ever heard," I laughed. He joined me and sighed.

"Wow, Charlie. You sure know how to knock a guy down."

"Yeah," I said. "I do. But other than the cheesiness, it was really beautiful."

The third week is when she got to meet Nate and Shane. The tour had gotten back to its original schedule. Connect 3 was traveling throughout Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. After every weekend show Jason would drive back to visit me.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Charlotte," said Nate as he shook my hand gently, even though my fingers were no longer braced together.

"You, too" I replied through my clenched teeth. Before either one of us could say anything else a giant green alligator burst through the room, held by a very excited Shane Gray.

"Charlie!" he yelled. "I brought you a gift. I got him in Louisiana and his name Chomp Chomp Fierce. I was going to wait and let you name him, but the drive here was so insanely boring I had to do _something_. So I started thinking up names for the big guy. After much deliberation, I was torn between Chomper and Fierce. So I just sort of combined the two and came up with Chomp Chomp Fierce. I hope you like him; he doubles as a great pillow."

I tried to follow everything he was saying and miraculously understood every word. He set the giant stuffed alligator on my bed and I hugged it to my chest. "Thank you, Shane. I love him."

"You're welcome," he said. "And by the way, I'm not usually like this. But we stopped at Starbucks four times on the way here! So, naturally I had to try a different drink each stop."

"Which also meant we had to stop four times for him to use the restroom," Nate laughed.

"And on each of those stops he grabbed another caffeinated drink," grumbled Jason.

I laughed at the irritated tone in Jason's voice and noticed that Shane had started doing a little dance in the corner.

"Bathroom is the first door on the right," I said.

"Thank you!" he yelled as he exited the room quickly. I began laughing again.

"Here," Nate said, handing me a box of chocolates. On the front were the words 'Get Well Soon.'

"That's so sweet," I said, grabbing the box and opening it. I pulled out a square and bit into. "Ugh."

"What?" Nate asked, curiously.

"Nothing," I mumbled. "I'm just not a big fan of caramel."

"That's funny," Shane stated as he walked back into the room. "Because that's Jason's favorite flavor. I myself prefer the coconut flavored candies, but everyone's entitled to his or her own opinion."

I let my mouth hang open. "Wow, Shane. From what I've seen on the television you've never been one to respect the opinions of others."

Shane looked down at his feet. "Yeah, I know. But people change."

"People change people," laughed Nate resulting in an elbow to the ribs.

"What was that for?"

"Because."

"You can't just say because," Nate retaliated. "You have to have a reason."

"And why is that?"

"Just," Nate started. "Because!"

"Ah ha!" Shane yelled, pointing his finger at Nate.

"Did I miss something?" I asked Jason in a whisper.

"Yes," he said as Nate and Shane bickered. "We sent Shane to a camp this summer to straighten him out. From what I've heard, it wasn't working. But then he met this girl, Mitchie."

"Ah, love." I said.

"Yes, love." Jason said.

"Not love," Shane yelled, leaving his argument with Nate. "I've only known her for a few months."

"So," I stated. "Love can change the world, Shane."

Nate raised and eyebrow and Shane got a dreamy look on his face.

"Yeah," he sighed.

"Love," Jason whispered.

"You know, I knew a girl named Mitchie once. She lived next door to my grandmother before she died, I used to stay with her every summer. Her mom made the greatest hamburgers." I mused.

On the fifth week of my stay, the doctor removed the cast from my arm and replaced it with a dark blue brace. And the Connect 3 tour had began moving further and further away. I only saw Jason two days out of the week now. He drove in early on Tuesday and left Thursday morning. When he walked through the door I was surprised to see and older woman with dark curly hair walk in behind him.

"Hi, Jason," I greeted him.

"Hello, Charlie," he replied. "This is my mother, Denise. Mom, this is Charlotte Baker."

"It's very nice to meet you Charlotte," she said, shaking my hand. "I've heard so much about you."

"Likewise," I blushed.

We spent the day talking about their random family traditions. I asked what is was like raising a son who was so famous yet so down to earth. She asked me about life in a foster home and what my parents were like. I was so engrossed in our conversation that I didn't realize Jason had fallen asleep.

"I guess this is really wearing him out," I said, watching Jason sleeping peacefully.

"It's worth it," Denise sighed.

"What?" I asked speechless.

"I know my son, Charlie. And I can see when he is truly happy."

"Wow," I was astonished. After a moment of thought I spoke up. "He makes me happy, too. I've never known anyone who could make me laugh like he does. I've come to think of him as my best friend."

She smiled at her son briefly then turned back to me with a somber expression. "I'm just worried about you two."

"What do you mean?"

"Charlie, what happens when the tour moves on?" she asked quietly.

"Well," I started. I had thought about it briefly but didn't want to dwell on the subject. The truth was I knew what would happen. We would talk on the phone everyday at first, promising to stay connected forever. But eventually the phone calls would fade into text messages and soon those would fade away, too. "I don't know, yet."

"Look," she said gently. "I'm not trying to tear you two apart or anything. I just don't want to see either of you get hurt."

She stood up to leave and grabbed her purse. "Send him back to the hotel before twelve. We have to leave early tomorrow."

"Will do," I muttered.

So now I sat in bed, waiting for Jason to arrive. Recently I had tried to be alone as little as possible. And when I was alone, the television sound was turned up so loud I could barely hear myself think. Today, though, was an exception. I couldn't find the TV remote. The television set it self was mounted high up in the corner of the room and even while standing on a chair, I couldn't reach the buttons.

So as I sat, I couldn't control my wondering thoughts. What _would_ happen when the tour moved on? The same thing that would happen every time I moved homes. These dark thoughts clouded my mind and began affecting my judgments.

I looked up when the door opened, revealing Jason. He was carrying a box in his hands and was smiling brightly.

"Charlie," he said. He handed me his box and I handed him mine. I opened it expectantly and found it half full of chocolate. I laughed when he opened his and found the same.

We both knew that the box would only be half full. I ate my favorite ones before he arrived and he did the same during the trip. I gave him his favorites from my box and vise versa.

"How was your trip," I asked quietly. This was the longest he's had to drive and I could see he was tired.

"Boring," he chuckled. "I never realized how plain Mississippi actually is. There was nothing but trees almost the entire way here."

I started to laugh, but stopped when I noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

"Jason," I said without looking him in the eyes. "I don't think I can do this anymore."

**End! **

**Sorry it to so long! But I was blocked right at the beginning and so I never wanted to write. But I got past that and couldn't stop! I was honestly writing nonstop for two days. lol My mom kicked me off of the computer two nights in a row at two am. =] **

**So anyway, here it is. Sorry for the kind of cliffy at the end. But you'll find out what happens next chapter! Which will definitely be up sooner than this one was.**

**=] **


	5. Aiden

**A/N: I love writing this. Now that I'm past my block. Haha =]**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Connect 3. But if I did….*sight* **

"Wh…what?" Jason asked. Confusion flashed across his features. "What are you talking about?"

"Listen," I said sitting up. "I love having you around, really. I've come to think of you as one of my best friends. It's just…"

"What?"

"What's going to happen when the tour moves on? You can't stay around here forever. You have fans everywhere that want to see and hear you." I looked away. "You're going to leave. You have to."

I was surprised when he laughed softly. I looked at him through misty eyes.

"Why does it seem like I'm the only one who cares about this friendship?" I asked angrily.

He leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed a pain black backpack. "I was going to wait until later to give you this, but now seems like a good time. Just because this is my last visit doesn't mean I'll never see you again."

My jaw would have been hanging open if it weren't still wired shut. Sitting in my lap was a large black notebook. I ran my fingers across the sleek surface and found the button that opened it. My reflection stared back at me through the shiny screen.

"Wow," I whispered. "Jason, I…I don't know what to say."

"How about thank you," he laughed. I smiled at him and pushed the power button.

"But what does this have to do with us?"

"I can't believe you haven't figured this one out yet," he mumbled. As soon as the welcome screen appeared he pulled the computer from me and set it on his lap. He opened up a shortcut from the desktop and a window popped up. After clicking a few different links, the window was filled with a picture of an empty room. In the room were a couch and a few pictures on the wall, but nothing or no one else.

"What is this?" I asked.

He groaned. "Hold on."

Jason pulled out his phone and walked over to the corner of the room. I was still confused.

"Okay," he said sitting back down next to me. "3…2…1."

As soon as he said the last number a little boy leaped onto the couch from seemingly out of nowhere. I jumped at his sudden entry. Jason just laughed as the little boy waved.

"Hey Aiden," he said.

"Hi Jason!"

"Aiden," Jason said. "I'd like you to meet Charlotte."

"Hi!" he said happily. "I've heard so much about you. Shane never shuts up about how you beat him at Rock Band that _one_ time. And Jason can't stop talking about you. It's like I already know you."

I laughed and looked at Jason who was blushing slightly. "Well, I'm glad to finally meet you. You're brother Nate always brags about how one day you will be a bigger star than all three members of Connect 3."

"You know it," the little boy exclaimed. "Jason's the one who taught me how to play guitar. So if I do make it big it's all because of him."

"Well that," I said. "And your amazing good looks."

He blushed and fidgeted with one of the couch pillows. "Oh! Hey, can I see your teeth? Shane told me that you had to get them wired together!"

I laughed again and pulled my lips back. "See."

"Wow," the little boy said. He was amazed by the metal wire keeping my teeth tightly clamped together. "I hope I get to see that up close when I meet you in person!"

"Well, sorry buddy. But the doctors are taking them off the day after tomorrow," I said. The look of disappointment made me smile. "But you can be the very first one I show when it's off."

"Sweet!" he yelled. "See Jason, I told you she'd like me best."

"She never said that," Jason told him.

"But it's true," he laughed. "I have to go; Granny is showing me how to play the drums!"

He leaned forward towards the screen and then clicked a button that made him disappear. I laughed and faced Jason.

"Nate's grandmother can play the drums?" I asked. I could imagine a little old lady sitting down at a set and wailing.

"Yes she can. Taught Nate everything he knows."

"That's something I'm going to have to see for myself," I laughed. "Thank you."

"Do you finally get it?"

"Yes, I do."

"We can chat whenever I have my computer with me," he said. "Which is pretty much always."

"Even on stage?" I teased.

He laughed and nudged my arm. "Even on stage."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For doubting our friendship," I told him.

"It's okay. Just know I'll always be here Charlie. As long as it's what's best for you." He smiled.

We continued to talk until it was time for Jason to leave again. Knowing this was going to be his last visit made it that much harder to say goodbye again.

"Don't worry," he laughed as he put his things back into his pockets. "You get your wires off Friday and then on Monday you get to go home."

"Yeah," I sighed as I walked with him down to the main lobby. "But Monday is a whole five days away."

"It'll go by fast," he said. We had reached his car and he was about to open the door. "Besides, now you can talk to me everyday now."

"That will help the time go by faster." I hugged him with all of my strength a let out a yell when he lifted me off of the ground.

"I'll call you when I get on the plane. Then we can chat till I land in Tennessee."

"Okay. See you soon!"

"See ya, Charlie."

**A/N: This would have been posted sooner but fanfiction is being dumb and not letting me login. As I'm typing this I'm hoping it gets fixed soon, but if this is posted it means it was. lol**

**Okay, show of hands…who thought Miley Cyrus looked like an extravagant Christmas tree at the Oscars? haha But my oh my…I could bake cookies on Hugh Jackman. And them would be some damn fine cookies. =D**

**Anyway, so last chapter from my home computer. From now on I'll be writing from my brand new…LAPTOP!!! Holla! So hopefully updates closer together. **


	6. Pearly Whites

**A/N: So, here's the next chapter. I nice surprise for Charlie in this one. =] I'm writing this as I wait for the Jonas Brothers to come on Jimmie Kimmel. I was just noticing too that no one uses the THE in the Jonas Brothers. I noticed it on SNL last week and then again on JK. Hmmm….**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Connect 3. =]**

"Come on, Charlie!" Aiden cried from the computer screen. "You _promised_ I could be the first one to see!"

"Okay, okay," I sighed. I smiled as wide as I could into the camera. "See?"

"Wow," as sighed. "And you swear I'm the first one?"

Lifting my left hand into the air I replied, "I swear."

"I'm gonna open up a duel chat with Jason." I rolled my eyes as another window appeared next to the one with Aiden in it.

"Hi Jason!" the younger boy yelled.

"Hey Jas," I giggled.

"Jason, did Charlie show you her teeth yet?" the boy asked.

"Nope, not yet Frankie," he said. "I asked her earlier today but she said "not until Aiden sees.""

"See, I told you."

"Awesome!" he said before looking in a different direction. "Okay, Granny! I have to go; we're boxing today."

"Okay," I laughed. "Don't get too beat up."

"Don't worry; she usually goes easy on me first round." The window disappeared leaving me face to screen with Jason.

"So let me see 'em," he said. I flashed him my best smile, showing all of my pearly whites. "Wow. You know, I think they're going to have to put those wires back on for a little while. You jaw seems a little unaligned."

"What?" I gasped. His laughter filled my ears.

"I'm just messing with you, Char."

"That is **so** not funny," I said. But I couldn't help but laugh.

"It so was," he said. "You can't deny it."

"Okay, okay, it was kind of funny." I gave in easily. "But it wasn't hilarious!"

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

_ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _

"So what's on the agenda today, Superstar?"

"Since its Monday all we have is a meet and great later tonight. We have the entire day free."

"Oh," I said. "Sounds like fun."

"Yeah," he laughed. From what I could see, he was in the backseat of a vehicle. I could see the scenery moving past the window.

"Where are you at now?"

"We're in Ohio."

"CHARLIE!" someone screamed in the vehicle. I saw Jason laugh and turn the computer away from him. When he did Shane's smiling face appeared.

"Hey Shane!"

"Hey Chuck," he said. He smiled brightly.

"Chuck?" I heard Nate say in the background.

"Yes, Chuck." Shane said matter-of-factly.

"How are you Shane?" I asked.

"I'm good." His smile was infectious and I couldn't help but laugh again. "So, let me see those pearly whites!"

"See," I sang, flashing my teeth.

"Whoa," he murmured. "You have HUGE teeth."

"You know, I would punch you if we weren't thousands of miles apart."

"Ah, yes. That is why I'm thankful for technology." The screen moved again and I was facing Nate. Before he could even ask I smiled widely and showcased my mandible.

"You have very nice teeth, Charlotte," he said sweetly.

"Thank you, Nate. You and Aiden are the only two that didn't make some kind of joke about them."

He chuckled. "That just shows you which family manners run in."

This earned him a jacket thrown in his face. I couldn't tell who threw it, just that it was a black jacket. I watched him throw it back, which only earned him a shoe aimed at his face. If he hadn't ducked at the last second it would have been a direct hit.

"Okay," I shouted. "Who is stripping in the car?"

The clothing stopping flying and I could hear laughter erupting from my computer speakers.

"It was Shane," Nate said.

"I figured."

"Hey!" Shane shouted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I just laughed. I saw that the car had stopped and everyone began moving towards the doors. "I guess you have to go now?"

"Nah," Kevin said, the camera now pointed back towards him. "I can walk and talk at the same time."

The group had now entered a building and noticed how familiar the whitewashed walls seemed. "Where exactly is this meet and great, Jase?"

"You know," he said, looking around. "I'm not too sure, maybe you can help us?"

"What do you mean? I've never been to Ohio."

"Just take a look," I heard Shane say. The screen pointed away from Jason's face and I could see Nate and Shane leaning against a bright white wall in a bright white hallway. Next to Shane's smiling face was a small black plaque on the wall. There were four white numbers there.

**2526**

Upon seeing the shocked look on my face, Shane burst out laughing. The screen moved again and was now showing a window. Beyond the glass there was a plain white room and a girl sitting open mouthed on a bed. There was a black laptop sitting in her lap.

I looked up and smiled. Standing outside my door were the only three boys I wanted to see.

Connect 3 smiled at waved at me in unison.

**A/N: So there's that chapter! Now it's time for…..SHAMELESS PROMOTIONS!!!!**

**Everyone loves promotions. lol **

**I command you to go check out **novella2008**'s profile right now. Her Camp Rock fic is amazing. And a new fic I recently read that has amazed me is one by **cr8vgrl **called **Someone to Understand**. It's probably one of my favorite fics. =]**

**Okay, I was just on moviefone again and this is what was said about the Miley dress: "Miley Cyrus' glittery multi-tiered gown was inspired by 'The Little Mermaid.' The teen star wore the Zuhair Murad designed dress because she was afraid of looking too old on the red carpet, claims The Envelope. Or maybe she was really auditioning to be the next Disney princess." **

**So till next time!!! **

**The Princess Wolf. **


	7. Shane's Plan?

**A/N: So this is the very first chapter written from my new laptop. I hadn't been writing on it b/c I couldn't find a place to set it down. I had just been carrying it around with me. But now it's on my freshly cleaned desk (which is really a sewing machine that I don't use and really don't know if it even works). So I'm pretty excited. This is a huge step in actually cleaning my room. Haha So here's the next chapter. =D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Connect 3, only their last names. Sort of. lol Charlotte is mine, and she's a rock star. **

"Oh my goodness!" I screamed. I jumped up from the bed and ran into Jason's waiting arms. I was passed around from person to person. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Don't you know what today is?" Nate asked, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Of course I do," I stated. "It's Monday."

"And?" Shane questioned.

"Um," I stuttered. "Tuna sandwich day in the cafeteria?"

"Wrong," Jason laughed. "You get to leave today!"

"That's right!" I exclaimed, jumping into Jason's arms again. "I can't believe I forgot!"

"How on earth could you forget?" he asked.

"I don't know! I was just trying to keep my mind off of the time so that it wouldn't drag on."

"Who knew you'd fast forward through the weekend," Nate stated.

"I know," I laughed. "I just can't wait to get out of here. I here Mama Dee's place calling my name."

The three boys all looked at each other oddly when I said that. Nate and Shane politely excused themselves and went downstairs to get some coffee at the Starbucks. As they left the room I gave them a confused look then turned to Jason.

"What's going on?" I asked quietly.

He had a torn look in his eyes. "Do you remember when that officer came and confiscated your cell phone? Right after you were admitted?"

"Yeah," I said slowly.

"Last night the guy who attacked you sent a text message to your phone."

Suddenly I could feel my chest constricting. I kept my eyes focused on Jason's. "Wh…what did it say?"

"Nothing," he said. "It was a picture of Mrs. Sander's house."

That did it. I fell to my knees gasping for breath. I felt Jason's arms pull me to my feet and guide me to a chair. I put my head between my knees in an effort to calm down. The small circles Jason was rubbing into my back helped a lot.

"Why me?" I asked. "Why is he coming after me?"

"I can't tell you that, Charlie," he said quietly. "But I can tell you this. No matter how hard he tries, this creep will never, ever get near you. We're going to make sure of that."

"How?" I asked sitting up. "He knows where I live. He took a picture of Mama Dee's house!"

"Shane came up with a plan," he said.

"Shane?"

"I know," he chuckled. "I couldn't believe it either. But it's a good one, Charlie."

"Tell me."

"Here it is," he said. "You don't go home. He'll be waiting for you there, we know that. So we have Mrs. Sander's pack your clothes and anything else you may need and we send someone to pick them up. Someone who is connected to Connect 3. They bring your stuff here, and you finish out the tour with us. We'll never be in one place for more than two days at a time and I doubt he'd even suspect you being with us."

It took me a few minutes to process the plan, but once I had I realized the brilliancy of it. "I can't believe it was Shane who thought of it."

"I know," he said. "It was a surprise to all of us. But you know, Charlie, we've all become so close to you. There's no way in the world we would ever let someone hurt you."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his neck. "You're the best friend I could ever ask for."

"So I'm told."

I pulled away from him just as Nate walked through the door with Shane at his heel. "So what do you say Charlotte?"

"Yeah, Chuck. Are you willing to spend twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week with us?" Shane asked.

I looked from face to face, each one silently begging for me to say yes. "Okay, let's do this."

The three boys gave a loud cheer and smiled. Shane opened the door again and pulled two big black suitcases from the hallway. "I'm so glad you said yes. I did not want to be the one to send these back."

I just laughed and hugged them all again. Nate told me of how they had already discussed all of the arrangements with the adults who would be involved and even the police who were investigating the case.

We were now parked outside of a large hotel, the one the boys had been staying at. Jason motioned for me to get out of the vehicle and I did so. We stood there for a moment after the black suv drove away before a large bus pulled into its place. My mouth hung open in awe.

Shane wrapped his arm around my shoulder as the large door opened. "You ready for this, Chuck?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." I told him.

Nate gently nudged my arm. "Then let's go."

I stepped onto the bus and started the next stage in my life.

**A/N: I know this one is like, super super short, but it's up pretty much right after my last one. Plus, I needed a short chapter here to put some things in motion. Now, drawing your attention to my summary. If you recall, I state that more than one member of Connect 3 will find themselves falling for Charlie. So who do you think it's going to be? So far I don't think I've really given away too many hints. Let's see who guesses correctly!!! The winner gets a special cookie! Much love!!!**


	8. Annie

**A/N: Sooo…I had the most terrible weekends in the history of the universe. Yep, it's true. Not an oppinion, but a statement of fact. My mom took my furniture shopping and someone stole my wallet. I was dumb for setting it down, sure. But I didn't really expect someone to walk off with it. So I get home and my bank calls me with some supsicious activity on my account. Apparently someone went on a spending spree with my debit card. Over a hundred dollars in charges. I hate people. In my short 18 years, I've learned that there really are good AND bad people out there, it's just been my luck that I run into all the bad ones. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope this weekend will be better.**

**And surprisingly nobody has guessed correctly in who will be the ones to fall for Charlie. Contest is over…no cookies for you!!! lol **

**Disclaimer: Charlie is my pet. And no one else. Sadly. I will name my dog Jonas one day though. teehee**

"You have to spread your fingers farther apart," Nate said.

"They're already as far apart as they go," I whined.

"Okay, here." He put his finger on top of mine and rearranged them so that they were on all of the correct strings. He was teaching me how to play guitar and so far I had been doing fairly well. I was surprised at how fast I had been able to pick it up.

"That helps," I laughed. I began strumming the strings with my fingers. A soft sound played throughout the small room in the back of the tour bus.

"Very good," he said. "I guess that's enough for today. Unless you want to keep going."

"No," I told him. "I'll think I'll just practice the chords you taught me for a little while."

"Sure, sure," he replied. He put on a pair of headphones before laying down on the couch across from me. I continued to move my fingers across the strings and stummed along to a random rhythm. We stayed this way until the bus stopped with a slight jerk. I almost fell but managed to keep my balance. Nate wasn't so lucky.

I stood up and set the guitar on the cushions and laughed at my fallen friend. He glared at me from the ground but accepted my hand when I offered it. We walked towards the front of the bus to see why we had stopped and found everyone heading for the door. I got in line behind Kevin.

"Where are we going?" I asked him. He turned around and just smiled at me.

"Do _you_ know where we're going?" I asked Nate, who was still behind me.

"There's a possibility I may know," he laughed. "But I'm not going to tell you. It's obvious Jason wants to keep it a secret."

"Fine," I grumbled. I followed everyone out of the bus and watched as the large group walked to the back of an unfamilliar building. Out in front were Shane's parents who were followed by Shane himself with Aiden at his heels. Jason was in front of me while Nate had taken the spot on my right. Behind us was Big Rick, the boys head of security.

After walking through the back door, we entered a dinning area. There were a few people scattered here and there, but it wasn't very crowded. We sat down at a large table in the middle of the room and waited for someone to serve us. But before anyone came, a loud scream came from across the resturant. I jerked my head towards the sound a saw a short girl with curly brown hair that fell to her shoulders. She was wearing the same outfit as the other servers in the room so I assumed she was a waitress. Before I could ask what was going on, she was running towards our table.

At first I was worried, thinking it was an obsessed fan girl. But then I saw Nate stand up from his chair and hold his arms open for the girl.

"Nate!" she screamed as she threw herself at him. "You sneaky trick! You told me you wouldn't be here until later tonight!"

"I know," he laughed. "We wanted to surprise you."

"I've missed you all so much," she said. She made her way around the table giving everyone a hug until she got to me. The look in her eyes told me she wasn't sure how to introduce herself. So I stuck my hand out towards her.

"Hi," I said. She gripped my hand lightly. "I'm Charlie."

"Maya," she responded, releived. "I've heard so much about you. But I had no clue you all were coming so early."

"Then you knew more than I did," I laughed. "I didn't know we were planning a stop at all."

"Well these guys sure know how to surprise a person," she turned back to Mrs. Grey. "My shift ends in about an hour, so if yall want to sit and eat I should be free when you're finished."

"Sounds fantastic," the older woman said. Maya dissapeared again and another waitress came back to take our drink orders. The same girl brought them out and wrote down what each of us wanted to eat. I was sipping my sweet tea when Nate turned towards me. I was sitting on the end of the table while he was on my left. Next to him sat Aiden and across from me sat Shane. Jason was diagonal from me and Mr. and Mrs. Grey sat on the other end.

"So what do you think of Maya?"

"She seems really nice," I replied honestly. "An old friend?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Before we moved to LA we lived with her and her mother."

"Here?" I asked.

"Yep," he said, taking a swig of his water. "Right here in good old Dallas, Texas."

"Wait, where?"

"Dallas."

"You should have told me we were here," I wispered. Jason saw the look on my face and motioned for me to follow him from the table. He lead me to a dark corner of the resturant where we couldn't be seen.

"Are you okay, Charlie?" he asked.

"Why didn't you tell me we were coming to Dallas?"

"Why?"

"This is where my parents live," I wispered, then looked away.

"What?" he asked.

"Remember when I said I've never lived in one place for very long?"

He nodded his head.

"I lied. When I turn eighteen next month it will be four years."

"So," he drew out the word as he attempted to process my tidbit of hidden information. "You've been in foster care for four years?"

"Yes," I said. "I was taken from my parents when I was fourteen by social services."

Jason was scratching his head and looking around the room nervously.

"I need to go see them," I suddenly said.

"What? I thought you weren't supposed to anywhere near them." He said.

"I know," I cried, rubbing my eyes. "But it's just something I need to do. I don't think you can understand, but please, can you take me?"

I silently begged him with my eyes. I could feel tears building up, but I refused to let them fall yet. "Please."

"Okay," he sighed. "This is against my better judgement, but I'll take you. But I'm staying right by your side and there's nothing you can say about it."

I hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much Jason. This means a lot to me."

"I know," he said. "Wait here, I'm going to go see if Maya will let me borrow her car. I'll tell Shane's mom I wanted to show you some sights or something."

_ -_-_-_-_-_-_

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

"I was fourteen when Social Services came and took me away from home," I said quietly as the streets of Dallas rolled past my window. "My math teacher saw a bruise on my face and made a call. The next day a couple of suits were packing up my clothes and I've been on the move ever since. There's not a major sitting in Texas that I haven't lived in."

"Wow, Charlie." Jason said from the drivers seat. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't be," I said. I turned my attention away from the houses we were passing and instead focused on the interior of the vehicle. Maya had agreed to let us borrow her car for a few hours and said she would catch a ride with the others. Mrs. Grey had not questioned Jason's intentions when he asked if we could leave and we had hurried out of the resturant. Waiting for us outside was a black 1965 Ford Mustang with the convertible top up.

Jason pulled me from my thoughts when announced our arrival. I glanced at the small white house in front of me and suddenly felt very nervous. It seemed like nothing had changed in the past four years. There was still a rickety old screen covering the front door and the window on the far left was still boarded. That happened when a kitchen chair collided with the glass one night. I didn't see who through it, but I heard the pieces dance on the table top I was huddled under.

"I don't want you going inside," Jason said.

"Listen," I turned in my seat so that I could face him. "These are my parents. Sure, they slapped me around a bit, but they would never really hurt me. I just always happened to get into the middle of their fights. I'll just be a few minutes."

The look on his face told me he wasn't going to let up on the matter. "How about this, if I'm not out in five minutes, you can bust in and save the day. You can be like my own personal super hero."

"Three minutes."

"Jase," I sighed. "Please, you have to trust me. I'm a grown girl. I can handle myself."

"Really? Then how come I had to introduce myself to you in a hospital bed?"

Ouch. That hurt. "I was attacked from behind. I'll be facing them, Jason."

I watched him bang his head against the steering wheel repeatedly. When he was finished he let out a long breathe. "Five minutes."

"Thank you," I said, giving his hand a squeeze. I opened the door of the car and stepped out onto the drive way. The concrete was cracked in many places and grassy weeds were sprouting up everywhere. My feet carried me to the front door and I saw the faded blue trim. The blue trim that haunted my dreams when I was first pulled away from this place. The blue trim I had never wanted to see again.

The screen door creaked as I slowly pulled it open. The sound echoed in my mind and halted my hand as I raised it to knock. I was frozen where I stood. I was halfway back to the car when the front door opened. Turning back again I saw the face of the woman who I had spent fourteen years with.

"Annie?" she whispered. I couldn't respond. All I could do was sit there staring at her. She looked just the same as when I had left. Her face was the same ashen white color and her eyes still the same blue. Only now there were wrinkles in the corners of her mouth that weren't there before. I couldn't breathe.

"Annie?" she asked again. This time she opened the door all of the way and pushed on the screen. After taking a few steps closer to me, she placed her hands on my shoulders. "You've come home."

**A/N: End of chapter 8. Sorry it took so long. I'm so addicted to twitter it's pulling me away from my fiction. Haha so you can follow me if you wish. =] ****.com/MelakneeRows**** it would make me happy. I love it so much. I freaking got a twitter reply from JONATHAN COOK!!!!! The lead singer of Forever the Sickest Kids and close friend of Selena Gomez. lol it made me soo happy. Anyways, onward men!!! Well, women. **


	9. The Rules

**A/N: Sooo…my Microsoft Word is going to drive me insane. First I couldn't figure out why it got locked, but after a little bit of research I realized it was because of it being a trial version. So blah…it's gonna expire soon. FML I'm going to try and get this finished before June b/c that's when this trial version expires. Whatev. Lol Oh…and if you've ever had a dog that you had to put down b/c it got old or sick, DO NOT rent Marley & Me. I bawled my eyes out. And wow…there were so so so many mistakes in the last chapter. And probably the ones before that. **

**(WWWWWOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!! I accidentally uploaded a chapter from my Harry Potter fic instead of this chapter. I feel dumb…)**

**Disclaimer: You know…**

My hands hung limply at my sides as the woman in front of me threw herself around my neck. There was once a time when I lived for my mother's hugs. This was not one of those times. At this moment I felt awkward and tense. I turned my head towards Jason and behind my back held up three fingers. He understood the message and nodded. My mother pulled her arms away and gently grabbed my hand.

"Come on," said as she pulled me towards the house. We past the screen door and I was thrown into a whirlwind of nightmarish memories. I was pushed onto the couch and felt the older woman sit down next to me. "So, how are you?"

"Um, I'm good I guess," I half whispered. Talking to my own mother had never been this uncomfortable. "I'm staying with this really amazing family right now. Jason, he's the one that drove me here, is like the big brother I never had."

"That's good, that's good. I'm so happy you're here. Why did they let you come back early?"

I was taken aback by her statement. Right before I was taken away she had told me that I could come back the day I turned eighteen, that there was nothing anyone could do to stop me. And at the time, that was the only thing I wanted. There were nights when I prayed I would wake up and it would be April 25. But now I didn't know what I wanted. I had experienced life outside of the madness I once called home, and now the thought of going back seemed mad. I decided that even if I had no place to go once I turned 18, I would not return here.

"Mom," I said quietly. "I'm not home. I'm here to say goodbye."

"What?" she whispered.

"I can't come back to this," I said. "I know things haven't changed. They never will. I'm not going to be put in the middle of this mess again."

"But, but you're my Annie. I love you." she stuttered. She was crying now and I knew I was breaking her heart, but I couldn't come back here.

"I know Mom," I said, tears of my own falling. "And I love you so, so much. But if you really love me, you'll let me go. I can't come back to this, Mom. I'll go crazy if I do."

"Charlotte Anne Baker!" she suddenly yelled. "Where will you go? What will you do about money? How are you going to live on your own?"

"I don't know yet," I said, raising my voice to match hers. "I'll be staying with some friends until the end of the summer, so that's almost three months to figure it out. I won't come back here, mom. You and dad are too selfish to realize what you were doing to me."

"Annie," she said sadly.

"I've got to go," I said standing up. "My ride is waiting."

I marched to the door, knowing that I wouldn't be able to leave if I stayed any longer. I placed my hand on the screen door and stopped. I turned and looked at the woman sitting on the couch, knowing that I would probably never see her again. I turned around and walked through the door and back into the waiting sports car. I didn't look back at the place I had once called home; I just climbed into the passenger seat next to Jason and told him to drive.

"One hundred and twenty-seven," he muttered as he pulled away from the driveway.

"What?" I questioned.

"Three minutes," he replied. "One hundred and eighty seconds."

He looked at me through the corner of his eyes and I couldn't help but laugh. During the two weeks we had been on tour, Jason had discovered the various ways to make me feel better when I was down. And laughter was always a quick fix for a bad mood.

"I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have waited. You would have been through that door on one hundred and twenty-nine."

"You know it," he agreed.

"So where are you taking me?" I asked.

"We're going back to the restaurant. It hasn't been more than a half an hour and Nate text me and said they were still there."

"Good," I said as I rubbed my stomach. "Because I'm starving."

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

"Wait," I said, still confused. "Tell me how this works again."

Maya laughed as she held the small shiny card in her hand. She was sitting next to me in the back seat of a large black Suburban while Mrs. Grey sat in the front passenger seat. Someone I didn't recognize was driving.

"Before every tour when the boys come for a visit, they give me this," she said, flashing me the silver credit card. "It has no limit and me and Mrs. Grey, or whoever is chaperoning, go on a shopping spree. It's to make up for every birthday and holiday they miss while they're gone."

"I don't think I can do this," I said nervously. "I mean, my birthday's not for another four weeks and the tour goes on for six, so I'll be with them the whole time and I just find this a little bit awkward…"

"Did you know you ramble when you get nervous?" She asked me.

"It's a rare talent I poses," I retorted. "But seriously, I don't think I feel comfortable spending the boy's money like this."

"Don't worry about it," Maya said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "You get so into the moment you don't even think about it."

"I guess if you say so," I muttered.

"Besides," she laughed. "Nick says that if you don't come back with at least one bag from four different stores, I would never be allowed to participate in the "Sacred Shopping Spree Spectacular Fiesta" ever again."

"Did Shane come up with that name?" I asked.

The dark haired girl just laughed and leaned forward in her seat. "Oh yeah, Mrs. Grey, this girl is going to fit in just fine around here."

Soon enough we pulled up to the back of a large shopping complex that had the words **Galleria Dallas** printed on the doors. When the Suburban halted, a young woman in a business suit came out to greet us.

"Ah, Mrs. Grey," she said politely. "So glad you could make it."

"Thank you, Tina." Mrs. Grey kissed the woman on the cheek and we followed her into the building.

"Why are we going in the back way?" I asked.

"People associate me with the guys, so usually when I go out places they kind of flock onto me at first. Then they realize that it's just me and they disperse." She laughed as we entered the mall. Mrs. Grey stopped and turned to us.

"Okay, Maya. You know the rules. Let Charlotte know about them and I'll meet you girls by the rink later tonight." With a wave she walked away with Tina at her heels.

"Rules?" I asked.

"Yeah," she smiled a tugged my arm, leading me into the first store. "One, never speak to strangers. It's probably the most important rule. Fan girls can get a little crazy sometimes and will do anything to get close to the boys."

"Check, no strangers."

"Number two, if anyone asks you anything Connect 3 related, you smile and wave. Usually the paparazzi don't follow me around here, just fans, but you never know."

"Got it."

"Three, don't be late. At six the guys meet us at the ice rink on the third floor and we spend the rest of the night together. I was late one time because there was a massive sale at Victoria Secret and the place was a mad house. When I finally made it to the rink Jason had all but called the cops and Shane was trying to steal one of the security guard's Segway so he could search for me himself."

"Is that why they all have one now?" I asked. Nate had shown me his and attempted to teach me to ride it.

"Yes," she said, laughing at the memory. "And last but not least, the rule that Nate is very adamant about, no price tags." She laughed at the shocked expression on my face.

"This is going to be so much fun!" She pulled me along with her and we entered the first store we laid eyes on.

**End! **

**A/N: The interaction between Charlotte and her mother is a tad short and lacking quality, but honestly, when I was writing it I hit a complete block. And then I was on polyvore and made the outfits and ensambles for the next chapter and I just wanted to start the shopping spree so bad…grrr…I had intented for a bit more confrontation and maybe an appearance from her father, but maybe later. =] lol Oh, and for those of you who were wondering about the whole "Annie" thing with her mom, I hope you discovered that her middle name is Anne and Annie is her mother's nickname for her. =]**

**Ps…**

**I'm so addicted to twitter. *teehee***

**twitter(dot)/MelakneeRows**


	10. Promises Promises

**A/N: So I've been really focused on my homework and what not lately. It's been a very very long time since I've updated this, but I'm not going to apologize, because I've already done that…several times. And I think that after a while it will become meaningless. So just know that I'm really trying to get organized and I mean it when I hope updates will become more regular, but no promises. *Note, I went through and edited this. There are still some minor mistakes but not nearly as many as before***

**Disclaimer: You know how it is. Now ownage just pwnage. haha**

"So you're like, my shopping soul mate," Maya said as we were leaving Forever 21. "Seriously, I have never met anyone who was so much like me."

"I know what you mean!" I told her. We made our way to the food court to get a drink before heading down to the skating rink on the first floor to meet up with the guys. "I've never lived in a single home where there was another girl with my same taste in fashion."

"We could pretty much be sisters," she said laughing.

"Hey, we're going skating later right?"

"Yep, it's tradition."

"But it's not cold outside?" I said.

"So? The indoor rink here is huge!"

"Oh," I said laughing.

I began taking the bags off of my arms and setting them on the table and in an empty chair. By the time my arms were free there was a mountain next to me. My phone began ringing in my pocket. After the police confiscated it, they gave it back to me with a new number.

"Take it," Maya said. "I'll get us some drinks from Starbucks."

"Mocha frappaccino, please." I said, dragging out the please. She just laughed and walked away.

I looked down and saw a number I did not recognize so I waited for it to go to voicemail. When there was a beep signaling the message I quickly dialed my own number. A familiar voice filled my ears.

"Miss Baker, this is Doctor Wagner from the Oakwood Medical center. I'm calling about the tests we ran a few weeks back and I am glad to inform you that they have all came back negative. There is no sign of any sexual intercourse. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call me anytime. Goodbye."

Even after the message played the phone stayed at my ear. I was frozen. Even when Maya came back with our drinks, it took her snapping her fingers right in front of my face before I actually noticed she was there.

"Oh," I said as I clicked my phone off and put it in my pocket. "Sorry."

"Where were you?" she asked, sipping her drink. "You totally spaced there for a second."

"I was just shocked," I told her. "I got a phone call from my doctor."

"Really, what did he say?" Throughout the various stores and shops we had been to, I had managed to get around to telling her my entire story from the concert up until today. She had been appalled and completely understood the reason for me staying with the boys for a while. And much like everyone else, she was surprised when she learned the plan we were going through with was thought up by Shane.

"The tests were negative," I whispered, still in shock.

"Woohoo," Maya yelled. She jumped up and ran to my side of the table, pulling me to my feet. Together we cheered and jumped in circles. She pulled me into a tight hug and I found tears of happiness falling down my face.

"Dang Maya," a familiar voice called from behind us. "You've only known the girl one day and you're already making her cry?"

I turned around and jumped on Jason. He laughed and wrapped his arms around my middle and lifted me off of the ground. When my feet touched back down he held me at arm's length and gave me a questioning look.

"Dr. Wagner called," I said.

"About the tests?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"Nothing happened," I told him.

A large grin spread across his face and he pulled me back to him. He spun me around in a circle before placing my feet back on the ground. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to face Shane. He held his fist to me and I pounded it with my own and together we did our own special handshake that we had created. Then it was Nate's turn. He gently wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tightly against him. He was soft, but beneath his shirt I could feel the tight muscles of his long arms. His body was warm and when he pulled away I almost shivered.

"We need to celebrate!" Shane shouted. Suddenly he bent down and threw me over his shoulder. "To the ice rink!"

"Wait! What about my bags," I yelled. But I could already see Nate and Jason grabbing them. I kicked my feet and even tried tickling Shane, but nothing worked. I finally gave up and tried to see which direction we were headed but my view was blocked by Shane's jeans. "You better not fart!"

"Don't give him any ideas," I heard Maya say, followed by the entire group bursting into laughter.

"Shane Gray, don't you dare!" I yelled. Once we reached the escalators I thought for sure Shane would put me down, but I was wrong. I rode over his shoulder all the way down to the first floor and through the rest of the mall. I wasn't let down until we reached the skate counter. Our small group laughed when I wobbled unsteadily on my feet, but Nate grabbed my elbow to keep my upright.

I looked around, expecting to see a large crowd of people skating or eating or laughing at me for my strange entrance, but there was no one. Looking out on the ice I saw only a small handful of girls skating around and laughing together, but that was it.

"Where is everybody?" I asked Nate.

"The mall was kind enough to close the rink for the day. It's hard to skate with a hundred fans trying to get your autograph and not fall at the same time."

I found myself in awe of the situation, realizing for the first time that I actually was best friends with some of the world's most popular musicians. I had known it the entire time, but it wasn't until right now that it actually hit me.

"Charlie?" Nate questioned.

"Sorry, spaced out for a bit."

He just laughed and asked my shoe size, repeating it to the older woman sitting behind the counter.

"Here you go, hunny." She said.

"Thank you," I responded politely, taking the skates from her. "Who are those people out there already?"

"Oh, our label held a contest earlier this year and those are the girls who won."

"Whoa," I said. I sat down on a bench facing the rink and watched as the small group which had once been skating now cluttered together in the center of the rink, whispering nervously to each other. "What was the contest?"

"It was so cool, Chuck." Shane said, wobbling up behind me having already put on his skates. "We posted a YouTube video and asked all of our fans to post their own videos telling us how they wanted to make the world a better place."

"That girl," Jason pointed to a skater slowly spinning in circles and sat next to me. "She wrote a song about how she wants to teach little kids how to express themselves through music."

"And those two over there," Shane said. "They organized a community garden in their neighborhood where they showed kids how to raise plants and when the food they grew came in they used it to make food for a homeless shelter."

"Wow," I said. "That's amazing."

"So we chose the top ten entries and the label invited them to come hang out with us for a little while." Nate told me.

"We're going to skate around for a bit, answer some questions and take pictures. It shouldn't take too long," Jason said. "So I don't want you and Maya wondering off. Stay close."

"Yes, mother," I laughed.

"So do you want to get our grub on while the boys do their thing?" someone said as they plopped down next to me. I turned and saw it was Maya. She flopped down next to me in the empty seat where Jason had been.

"Yes," I said. "I'm starving."

We walked together to the concession counter with our skates tossed over our shoulders. Maya ordered some nachos while I decided on a hotdog. We each got different drinks and sat at a table that over looked the ice.

"Do you know how long we will be here?" I asked her.

"Two more days," she said in between cheesy bites. "Oh that reminds me. Before we leave here, we are going to stop back by Pac Sun and get the cute black and white bikini you tried on earlier."

"Maya, I have a swim suit," I told her. "And besides, I'm going to be living in a tour bus for the next couple of months or so. Unless there's a secret hot tub the boys haven't shown me, I don't think I'll even be wearing the suit I have."

"Ah," she replied. "But you have forgotten about hotel pools. There are a few stops on the tour where you'll be in the same place for three or four days, and trust me; Shane's practically a fish when he's not onstage. And the day after tomorrow we're having our traditional "Going Away" BBQ/pool party."

"Who else is going to be there?" I asked. I picked up the ketchup and made a squiggly pattern down my hotdog.

"Everybody comes. Nate and Aiden, their parents; Shane and his parents; Jason and his mom; me, of course, and my parents and this year you will be there."

"It's crazy how almost their entire family lives together," I stated.

"Yeah, I know," she replied. "I have some cousins that I almost never see and those three couldn't get rid of each other even if they wanted to."

I picked up the mustard and made another squiggle over the ketchup. "What about Jason's dad?"

Maya looked down at her nachos. "He died about nine years ago."

"Oh," I said. "I didn't know."

"Not many people do," she replied. "It was before the fame and he doesn't like to tell people about it."

"How did it happen?" I asked.

"He was attacked," she said finally looking up from her can cheese snack. There was a look there in her eyes that I couldn't quite place. "That's why he's so protective over you, you know."

"You too," I muttered, remembering the story about Shane and the Segway from before.

She laughed and began playing with her food again. "That's just Shane. He was always protective of me and Nate because we were the youngest, but when Jason's dad died…it was like he realized that this sort of thing could happen to anyone."

I set my hotdog down, no longer hungry. "I definitely never thought it'd happen to me."

Maya looked up at me and popped another cheese coated chip into her mouth. "Change of subject! So the next two days are "bonding days" as Shane calls them. Tomorrow we're just going to hang out all day and watch movies, play games, maybe swim and when not for most of the day. Just us kids; the parents are going to go out together and then those who are going on tour are going to be gone arranging flights and booking hotels. And you know the dresses we picked out today? Well you should definitely wear the purple one tomorrow night because we're going to see the musical Wicked. It's the final night it's in town so it should be really good. After that dinner and then home. We'll probably go swimming again but who knows? Then the day after is the pool party."

Somehow she had managed to say all of this while eating her food and not missing a beat. I laughed and picked up my hotdog again. I was about halfway through when I heard my name being shouted from the ice.

"CHHHAARRRLLLIIIEEEE!" Shane called from the other end of the rink in a sing songy voice. "Come skate with meeeeee!"

"Skate?" I asked Maya.

"Skate!" she exclaimed. We jumped up from the table and ran to the ice laughing, stopping only to put on our skates. Together we glided onto the ice where the three boys now stood alone. Maya was instantly engaged in some sort of game of ice tag with Jason and Shane, leaving me alone with Nate.

"They better not get hurt," he mumbled, pushing off with his skates and gliding forward. "Tour starts in just a few days and we can't have one of them hobbling around on stage with a pair of crutches."

I laughed and skated forward cautiously to meet him. I was just at his side when of my feet slipped out from under me. I would've fallen to the ice but I reached out and latched onto his shoulder and held on for dear life.

"Whoa," he said. I had almost pulled us both to the ground. After he made sure I was steady he laughed. "Have you ever done this before?"

"Once," I said, watching my shoes intently for any sign of control loss. Both of my arms were still wrapped tightly around one of his. "I think when I was eleven."

"Well here," he said as he removed my hands from their vice grip on his arm. He took my hand in his. "I won't let you fall, I promise."

He looked at me and I could tell that it was a promise that went beyond the ice. I smiled and squeezed his hand in mine and attempted to push myself forward again. I wobbled a bit but Nate's hand kept me on my feet.

"So how do like Maya?" He asked. We were circling the rink at a pace a snail would laugh at, but I didn't care.

"She is probably the coolest person I've ever met," I stated. His hand pulled me back and I realized he had stopped skating. I glanced up and saw a look of mock hurt on his face.

"_The_ coolest?" he questioned.

"Well, now that you mention it, there are these three guys I know who are tied with her for a very close second," I said nonchalantly.

"Second?"

"Yes," I said, skating forward again but never letting go of his hand. "Second."

"Who's first?" he demanded.

"Why, Aiden of course." I let out a loud laugh and he chuckled. We were now skating side by side again. When he didn't protest my statement I asked "okay Mr. Why Am I Not Number One, no objection?"

He just shook his head and searched the rink with his eyes. He turned around I could see Maya holding hands with both Jason and Shane as they pulled her along between them.

"Shane!" Nate yelled.

"Whatttt?" he whined in return. It wasn't an annoyed whine, just a 'why are you yelling at me' whine.

"Who's the coolest person you've ever met?"

"Aiden, hands down."

"Maya?" he asked next.

"Aiden," she stated matter-of-factly.

"See," he said turning back to me. "There is no contest there."

"Well, I have met a lot of people, so being in a four way tie for second isn't bad at all Nate."

He looked down at the ice for a moment before replying. "I have met a lot of people too, Charlie, and I can assure you...you're my number one."

I was shocked at first and didn't know what to say. No one had ever told me anything so sweet before and it took a couple of seconds for it to sink in. I was just about to say something when Shane chose that exact moment to skate by and latch onto my free hand, pulling me away from Nate. Without my secure anchor, I was completely unsteady. I jerked away from Shane and my arms pin wheeled through the air. For a split second, it seemed as if I was going to stay standing, but then both skates flew out from under me and I fell.

The ice was just as cold and hard as I expected it to be when my backside came into contact with it. I laid there for a moment before looking up at the worried faces of my friends. Nate and Jason looked generally concerned while Maya was trying to hide her laughter and Shane was hiding behind his hands. I began laughing and Shane peeked from behind his fingers and Maya could no longer control herself and started laughing with me. Jason and Nate came around when they realized I wasn't hurt and gave low chuckles.

"Girl down!" I shouted, extending my arms out in front of me. "Is somebody going to help me up or what?"

It was Nate's hand that reached out for mine and I gladly accepted. In one swift motion he pulled me to my feet again. I turned around in time to see Shane drop to his knees and power slide in front of me, a move he was known for using on stage. He clasped his hands together in front of him and began begging for my forgiveness, as if he had committed murder.

"I am so, so sorry, Chuck," he said over and over again. I reached down and put my free hand on his shoulder, though never letting go of my anchor.

"Its okay, Shane. No harm done," I laugh and turned back to Nate. Shane got to his feet and gave me a bear hug from behind, almost lifting me off of the ground.

Nate had a sad look on his face as Shane went to join Jason and Maya once more. It made me want to cheer him up in any way possible.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He looked up and his soft, serious brown eyes met mine.

"I can barely make a promise to you without it being broken five minutes later," he told me. I let out a sigh.

"Shane didn't know I'm a shotty skater," I told him. "I don't blame you for a second."

"I can assure you," he said, taking both of my hands in his own. "It will **never** happen again."

"I'll hold you to that," I smiled. "Now let's go get revenge on that lead singer of yours."

**A/N: I'm so excited…and I just can't fight it…haha guess what I'm doing on March 7, 2010 at exactly 3:45 pm. If anyone can tell me what is so special about that date, I'll put you in my next chapter. It won't be a reoccurring role, but you'll have some dialog with the main characters. ;) Here's a hint: It's a fairly large even happening over a couple of weeks with different things going on each day. If no one guesses I may or may not put another hint with my next chapter. We'll see. **

**Also, if anyone was confused with anything in my last chapters, just message me. lol I'm not sure if some of you caught it, but I **was** trying to be sneaky and swap character names with real life names every now and then. But it was brought to my attention that I used Aiden and Frankie in the same sentence. :D So I won't be doing that anymore. **

**Anyways, hope you like this chapter! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you review!!! LOVE YOU ALL!!! **

**The Princess Wolf**

**p.s.**

**I pretty much have two new favorite songs. One is by Cash Cash called Party in Your Bedroom (thanks to Karleigh Santry who mentioned it in a Katy and Karliegh vLog) and the other is Naturally by Selena Gomez. It's amazing and one of only two songs I've heard from her new album. Just thought yall should know. lol TOODLES!!!! **


	11. Bonding Days

**A/N: I'll put links up in my profile to polyvore for the outfits in these next few chapters.**

'Bonding Days' with Maya and the boys of Connect 3 turned out to be two of the greatest days I had ever experienced. After hanging out at the ice rink until closing on Monday night, we all headed back to Maya's house; the same house Jason, Nate and Shane grew up in. The place was huge, with seven bedrooms, a game/entertainment room that took up most of the second floor and a guest house out by the pool in the backyard.

"This place is gorgeous," I told Maya as she gave me a quick tour. "It's the biggest house I've ever been in."

"I know," she said. "It was great when everyone was living here, but now it's practically empty. When the boys aren't on tour they're staying at their house is LA, with just Mom and me here it gets lonely sometimes. She even thought about selling it once, but she couldn't bear to part with it. We all grew up here, our memories are centered around this place."

After the tour of the house, everybody changed into the pajamas they brought from the bus and loaded up onto the couches in front of the big screen in the entertainment room on the second floor. We picked through our haul of snacks and turned on a movie and that is where we stayed until the next afternoon. We watched movie after movie and played board games and just hung out, like five regular kids just spending time together.

"You learn to cherish moments like this when you live the kind of lifestyle we do," Shane said to me as Maya and Jason set up one of the games we were getting ready to play. Nate was around the corner in the mini kitchen making popcorn. "Even when you're with each other as much as we are during tour, we're either working or sleeping."

"Yeah," I said. "I learned that living in the system meant you couldn't take any moments for granted with the people you cared about. It didn't matter how much you wanted someone to stay, they could be gone in the blink of an eye, off to a new home somewhere across the state."

"That's terrible," Shane said quietly. "I want you to know, Charlie, we aren't going anywhere."

"Thank you," I told him sincerely. I gave him a tight hug and had to close my eyes to ward off the tears.

"You're stuck with us, kid." He laughed loudly as he released me from our embrace.

"Kid? I'm only a year younger than you!" I stated.

"You're seventeen until the end of April, I'm nineteen. You're two years younger than me for another whole month."

"You're not going to let me live that one down are you?" I asked him.

"Nope," he said with a smile. "But just think about it, in a month you will be a year older than Nate, so it's not that bad."

"Well _you _just think about _this_," I said, poking his chest. "I may be two years younger than you in a month, but you will _always_ be two years younger than Jason."

He just laughed and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "I'm so glad you're stuck with us, Chuck. You have a way of making life pretty interesting."

"I could say the same about you," I said with my arm around his back. "I think we could get into some trouble, you and I."

"I think you just may be right about that."

I was shaken awake from my spot on one of the squishy couches at around noon. After promising a very awake Aiden that I would get up and go swimming with him I looked around the room. The rest of the group was passed out various places all around me. Shane and Maya were snuggled together closely on an air mattress on the floor near my couch, Nate was stretched out in the recliner across the room and Jason wrapped up in a quilt on the couch perpendicular to mine.

I stood up and quietly folded the blanket I had used and laid it underneath my pillow before walking to the bathroom. I found the duffel bag I had gotten my pjs out of. After locating the swimsuit Maya had talked me into buying at PacSun I quickly changed. I had to search for a minute before finding where the towels were but got to them eventually. Grabbing a big fluffy beach towel, I wrapped it around myself and headed downstairs.

Aiden was already outside sitting by the pool with his feet dangling in the water. I silently put my towel down and snuck up behind him. Just as I reached where he was sitting I took a long stride and jumped over his head and cannon balled into the crystal blue water. His initial shock lasted about a second and he was in right after me. We killed the time playing games and having hand stand contest. I learned that I could hold my breath under water for just about a minute, while Aiden could hold his for a minute and a half.

After a few hours we decided to dry off and get some lunch. We made it inside to find almost everyone else was up and about, mostly hustling around the kitchen. Maya and Shane were dancing in front of the stove to a pop tune floating through the room from an iPod dock near the refrigerator. From the smell of it, they were frying bacon. I could hear the adults talking animatedly from somewhere nearby and Jason stood at the opposite counter from Shane and Maya slicing a tomato. He looked up when he heard me and Aiden come in and waved at us.

"Have a nice swim?" he asked.

"It was awesome!" Aiden told him excitedly. "Charlie can do better handstands than me, but I can hold my breath longer than her. She has an awesome cannonball, too."

"Well," Jason laughed. "Sounds like you two have had a pretty exciting day so far."

"Yep," I said. "And we're starving, so what are we making?"

"BLTs!" Maya and Shane shouted at the same time. I looked around the rest of the kitchen and noticed Nate was no where to be found.

"Where's Nate?" I asked.

"Still asleep," Jason told me. A look of concern flashed across his features. "Actually, he should probably get up. Would you mind taking some food up to him for me?"

"Sure, no problem," I told him. He walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a bowl of already cut fruit and a bottle of apple juice. I took them from him and headed upstairs. I stopped at the half kitchen before making my way to Nate. I found my duffel bag by the bathroom and grabbed some sweats and a tank from it to put over my swimsuit. I put my bag away and started back on my original mission.

I found Nate in the same place I had last seen him before heading downstairs this morning. He was stretche out across the extended recliner, one leg dangling over the arm and his curly hair a mess. I had to laugh at how adorable this made him look. Mentally I noted that he must be a pretty heavy sleeper to still be unconcious after Shane had been in the room, even if it were only for a moment.

I gently nudged his shoulder the the hand that held the apple juice but he didn't stir. I shook a little harder, this time getting a grunt as a reaction. I smiled and pressed the cold bottle in my hand to the exposed skin of his neck. His whole body jerked and he almost fell from the recliner, causing me to burst out laughing.

My laughing ceased however when I noticed the glare Nate sent my way. I quickly thrust the fruit bowl in front of me and handed it to him.

"Jason sent me to wake you," I said sheepishly. He looked a tad bit guilty as he took a bite out of a piece of cantaloupe.

"Thanks," he said. He rubbed his eyes and continued to eat. Rather than stand around and watched, I made use of the moment to straighten up the room. By the time I was finished so was Nate. He stood up from the chair and stretched his arms above his head.

"I'm sorry for being so rude," he told me as I folded the last comforter. He grabbed the other end and helped. "I usually set my phone alarm to wake me up pretty early. I'm surprised I forgot last night."

"Well, being in my presence does seem to have that affect on people," I joked.

"You'd be surprised at how truthful that statement is, Charlie," he said. I blushed.

"So why do you get up so early?" I asked, quickly changing topics. "You don't exactly seem to be a morning person."

"Again," he said. "Sorry about that."

"Really, Nate, stop saying sorry. I've already forgotten about it."

He just smiled and took the now folded covers from me and placed them on the couch.

"I am a much more pleasant person to be with when I get up earlier. The longer I sleep, the lower my blood sugar gets."

I gave him a confused look and he smiled. "I have type 1 diabetes."

**A/N: This update comes to you in honor of NaNoWriMo. And because I have finally found a way to write without using Word or Notepad. :)**


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